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Have you

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ever pushed back

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after your health plan

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denies your claim?

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Likely the answer is no

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because the vast

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majority of us

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don't understand the system

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well enough to do so.

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I'm Marisa Wojcik

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"Here & Now" series producer

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and multimedia journalist.

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Our five-part series

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Rx Uncovered, shows the ways

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patients can get stuck

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not being able

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to get their prescriptions

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or be able to pay for them.

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Often these medications

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are to cure cancer

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prevent death

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or manage debilitating

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chronic conditions.

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But the maze of terms

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code, tiers

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prior authorizations

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and stipulations

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in our health plans

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make access

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anything but easy.

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That's where patient

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advocates like Nilsa come in.

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They help people

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navigate this complex system

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that even experts

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struggle to discern

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and they make sure people

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don't have to choose

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between their medication

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or their savings.

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Can patients

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do these themselves?

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The answer is probably not

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because the statistics

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have shown

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that very few patients

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will take it to

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the next level.

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It's too cumbersome.

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If you look at

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denial letters

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the steps are in there

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and it's even cumbersome

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for me.

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In Rx Uncovered

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we look at the underlying

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causes of

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expensive prescriptions

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and what you can look for

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to protect yourself.

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Find more at

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pbswisconsin.org.